December 2013
If you are looking for a good sports book to read over Christmas, or as a present for someone, you won’t go wrong with Eamon Dunphy’s ‘The Rocky Road’, the first volume of his two-part autobiography. Few autobiographies by ex- footballers come anywhere close to this intelligent, informative and engaging book.
The book takes us from Dunphy’s humble early days in Drumcondra on Dublin’s northside in the post-war years through to the 1990 World Cup, by which time he was of course a pundit on RTE polarising the soccer community with his criticism of Jack Charlton’s Republic of Ireland team’s long-ball style. In between, Dunphy was a Manchester United apprentice under Matt Busby; a journeyman pro in the lower leagues with Millwall, Charlton Athletic, York City and Reading; author of ‘Only a Game’ which was a diary of his last season at Millwall [1973-74]; an Ireland international in a team that featured John Giles and a journalist who cut his teeth writing about soccer for newspapers and magazines.
Overall Dunphy’s opinions, insights and observations on all things football throughout his playing days and beyond are refreshing in their honesty and originality.
